When You’re Using Sympa for Someone Else

Sometimes the person who needs Sympa the most isn’t the one holding the device. Maybe it’s a child with mysterious symptoms, an aging parent who insists everything is “fine,” a partner in the middle of a long illness, or a friend who can’t clearly express what’s happening inside their body. Real life is full of situations where someone’s body is speaking—but they can’t always translate it.

Sympa is designed for adult use, but the Explorer (the person Sympa is learning about) can be any age. And adults often find themselves quietly tracking patterns for someone they care for, whether or not that person is ready or able to participate.  Supporting someone this way does not take away their agency; it helps their body be understood.

This guide is for you—the caregiver, the supporter, the observer, the one trying to understand what’s really going on.

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The Conduit Model: How Sympa Stays Clear

For Sympa to work, it needs to hear one body with one voice. Otherwise, patterns get muddled and everything becomes harder to interpret.

When you type into Sympa, you speak as the Explorer—using “I.”

You’re not pretending to be them. You’re representing their body so that the system can follow one consistent thread.

When you need to add your own observations, you simply reference yourself in the third person:

• “My mom says I looked pale.”
• “My caregiver noticed I slowed down.”
• “My partner thought I seemed confused after dinner.”

This keeps the data clearly associated with one body.

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When the Explorer Isn’t Involved (or Not Yet Ready)

Not everyone is able or willing to use Sympa directly. Some people can’t describe sensations clearly, forget symptoms, avoid health discussions, or become overwhelmed by trying to explain what’s happening. Regardless of the reason, the pattern is the same: the body is signaling something the Explorer can’t articulate.

Sympa does not require the Explorer to participate. You can still:

• track patterns without needing to ask for details
• keep logs short and factual
• rely on what you can observe

You’re not forcing someone into a system—they can engage later if and when they’re ready.

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What to Log When You’re the One Observing

You don’t need medical language or symptom vocabulary. What matters is what you can see:

• changes in behavior
• slower walking
• stopping suddenly
• withdrawal or quietness
• posture shifts
• skin changes (color, hives, flushing)
• coordination issues
• eating or drinking changes
• reactions to heat, light, food, or activity
• how long recovery takes

Even if the Explorer doesn’t describe sensations, that’s okay. Sympa’s approach assumes that patterns can emerge from behavior alone.

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What Not to Guess

Supporters often want to help by filling in blanks. But guessing internal states can make the data less accurate.

Avoid adding implied states unless actually stated by the Explorer, like:

• “I felt dizzy.”
• “I felt anxious.”
• “I had chest tightness.”

Instead, stay with the visible:

• “I grabbed the wall and slowed down.”
• “I stopped talking and leaned forward.”
• “I paced for a few minutes.”

Sympa’s approach treats the pattern itself as the important data, without requiring you to guess internal sensations.

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Constraints: Why They Work So Well for Supported Explorers

Constraints help with both analysis and communication. A constraint is a repeatable rule about how a specific body responds to a specific stressor or situation: a trigger, a threshold, and a consequence. For a deeper explanation, see the companion field note “When Other People Can’t Imagine Your Symptoms.”

In simple terms:

A constraint is a boundary your body reliably enforces.

A few examples:

• “If I’m in the sun more than 20 minutes, I get hives.”
• “If I stand longer than 3 minutes, I start to sway.”
• “If I miss lunch, I get shaky and quiet.”

Sympa’s approach is being shaped around using constraints to:

• identify stressors and sensitivities
• map out safe activity boundaries
• try to avoid flares by recognizing threshold patterns
• help you communicate more clearly with clinicians and others

For caregivers, constraints are ideal because they rely heavily on visible, reproducible behavior, not subjective explanations. Caregivers are often the first to notice constraints. Even if the Explorer never types a word, constraints can tell a clear story.

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When Capacity Varies From Day to Day

Some adults can communicate clearly on good days and not at all on others. The conduit model fits this perfectly. On days when the Explorer can speak for themselves, they can. On days they can’t, you simply continue the same voice.

Identity stays stable either way.

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Using Sympa for Children, Parents, Partners, and Friends

Whether you’re supporting a child, partner, older parent, or friend, the underlying approach is the same. The conduit model provides stability regardless of how consistently someone can communicate:

• you observe what’s happening
• you keep the voice consistent (“I”)
• you add your own observations gently when relevant

Different lives, same pattern: someone’s body is doing something they can’t fully articulate, and you’re helping create a steadier picture. The goal here isn’t diagnosis—it’s clearer communication.

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If the Explorer Later Wants to Participate

An adult Explorer may warm up to Sympa after they see its value.  Maybe they begin to see useful patterns, get some good suggestions, or have an easier time at doctor visits.

They can simply start typing “I…” whenever they want. Nothing else needs to change.

You can continue speaking as “I” on their behalf whenever needed; the conduit model stays intact. You can both use the same account because the “voice” never shifts.

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You’re Giving Their Body a Clearer Voice

Supporting someone who struggles to communicate about their body can be challenging. You notice things they can’t. You remember things they forget. You connect dots they’re too exhausted to see.

Sympa’s long-term direction is to help you:

• keep track without overwhelm
• see patterns more clearly
• prevent crashes and flares
• communicate better with clinicians
• reduce conflict or guessing
• feel less alone in the process

You’re not taking away their agency. You’re helping their body tell its story,  supporting healthier outcomes.

And Sympa is here to help both of you navigate that story with clarity and steadiness.

How Sympa Can Help

Sympa's vision is to bring clarity, pattern-awareness, and grounded logic to personal health—especially for people navigating complex or poorly explained experiences. We are building tools that help individuals find clearer direction by reflecting on their lived data, developing pattern awareness, and making sense of what their bodies are telling them. Field Notes share perspectives that support this process and reflect the rigorous and independent systems-level reasoning that guides Sympa's evolution.